Sleep artificial intelligence (AI) company ASleep is joining forces with French global healthcare giant Air Liquide Healthcare to expand its operations in screening and managing sleep apnea patients.
ASleep announced on September 10 that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Air Liquide Healthcare for collaboration on sleep apnea screening and management during the Korea-France Innovation Connect event held in Paris on September 8.
Air Liquide Healthcare, a division of the French Air Liquide Group founded in 1902, currently oversees approximately 2.3 million home patients across 30 countries. It supplies medical gases and related services to 20,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities. The healthcare division reported revenues of 4.4 billion EUR (approximately 5.09 billion USD) last year.
Initially, the two companies will focus on implementing ASleep’s sleep apnea diagnostic aid device, Apnotrack, in the Korean home healthcare market. Their collaborative efforts will encompass screening undiagnosed patients, supporting pre-diagnostic sleep studies, monitoring continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy compliance, and managing long-term patients.
The partnership is set to expand into the European market. Apnotrack received CE certification (Class I) under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) in February. ASleep plans to explore the device’s potential applications in European countries where Air Liquide Healthcare operates.
Apnotrack is an AI-powered medical device that uses a smartphone’s microphone to analyze breathing sounds during sleep and calculate the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). Its standout feature is its ability to measure without any wearable equipment, requiring only the smartphone to be placed near the user’s head.
In South Korea, Apnotrack has received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and has been designated as an innovative medical device. Since its January launch, it has been prescribed by approximately 600 medical institutions, according to the company. CKD handles its distribution in Korea.
This collaboration was announced during an event marking the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations. The AI collaboration session showcased partnerships with French AI firm MistralAI and quantum computing company Pascal, alongside the ASleep and Air Liquide Healthcare collaboration.
Lee Dong-heon, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ASleep, emphasized that sleep apnea isn’t a condition that ends with diagnosis; it requires consistent treatment to be effective. It aims to establish the first case study in Korea with Air Liquide Healthcare and then expand to multiple European countries.
ASleep, established in 2020, specializes in sleep AI technology. The company develops medical devices and wellness solutions using sound AI technology that analyzes sleep via smartphone. They have commercialized two digital medical devices: the sleep apnea testing app Apnotrack and the sleep rhythm testing device Chronotrack. Additionally, ASleep operates a wellness business featuring HeySleep, a sleep environment solution developed in partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction.